Reborn and Awakened
by ClaireGrace
Summary: Dimitri was captured by the Strigoi, but Rose sacrificed herself to save him. Now she has been turned into a Strigoi. Will the remembrance of Dimitri's love be enough to turn her back? Will he be able to save her? Or will Rose stay Strigoi forever? Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire Academy, Richelle Mead does.
1. Chapter 1

Dimitri POV

We just had to get out of the caves and we would win. Only a few Strigoi were still left. The guardians, along with some senior novices and Moroi, had staked most of them and rescued the prisoners. I was glad we had won so that now I could go back to some semi-normal way of life. Oh, but how could life ever be normal again? After what had happened with Rose in the cabin... Roza.

My thoughts raced back to that moment. Where we both admitted everything, and let our feelings, needs, and desires consume us. I still couldn't believe how upset she was this morning when she had thought I would regret what had happened. As if I could ever regret something like that... I remembered her arms wrapped around me, my hands running through her hair, over her body, her lips fiercely pressed against mine... Focus, Dimitri, I scolded myself. You're not safe yet.

We crept through the caves, our muscles tensed, eyes watching for any sign of a threat. There were seven other certified guardians with me, along with Rose. Even the thought of her name was distracting... but I couldn't afford to get sidetracked now... I had one goal: to get myself, and everyone else out safely. As we turned the last corner, I felt a brief sense of euphoria. The last of the daylight streamed through the exit of the cave, about 200 yards away. We had done it! But my excitement was short lived as three Strigoi jumped out from behind a large rock.

One grabbed Celeste, who screamed as his fangs bit into her cheek. Another reached for Ms. Carmack, who was standing right next to Rose. I started to run toward her, but she just stared at me.

I yelled at Rose to move, but instead let out a strangled yelp, as the third Strigoi grabbed me and moved his mouth toward my neck. Rose screamed as his teeth started to pierce my skin. I was going to die. No, worse. I would be turned into a Strigoi. As I had said to Rose months before, I would rather be dead.

The Strigoi wrapped his arms around my chest, trapping me, and ruining any chance of escape. I reached for my stake, but the Strigoi had already taken it, and tossed it to the ground. I twisted in his grip trying to kick him, but he was too strong. He knocked my knees out from under me. Shit. Something was broken... It was obvious that I wasn't going to be able to make it out alive.

The two other Strigoi had been staked by the Guardians, who started to retreat. They knew they couldn't save me. This is what we did. They come first. Well, all the guardians other than Rose started to retreat, but she wasn't exactly a "normal" guardian. She had seen and done things people twice her age hadn't. She was brave, and loyal, a combination that sometimes got her in trouble. Like now. Damn it, Rose!

"Nathan," Rose said in a steady voice. I could see her fear on her face, but it was covered by a mask of calm. She looked beautiful. I was glad she was the last thing I would see before I became a monster. But she had to get away, so I couldn't hurt her, once he... I shuddered. I had been close to death before, but those times were nothing like this. Those times, there wasn't someone else I would endanger if I went down.

"Nathan," she repeated. He glanced up at her, and his eyes narrowed.

"You again," he growled. Again? They had already met?

"Let. Him. Go." She was too stubborn for her own good. I tried to convey with my eyes that I wanted her to leave, and save herself. I knew she understood, but naturally she didn't listen.

"Roza, please," I choked out. I didn't want her to get hurt! Why couldn't she see that?

"Shut up, Dimitri!" she yelled. "Nathan, you need a prize to take home to your Strigoi friends? Then take me. Just LET HIM GO!"

Nathan laughed. "You want to be turned, little girl? Fine. I'll turn you. Right here. In front of your boyfriend, so he can watch."

No, no, oh, dear God, please no. Anything but that. Not my Roza... I expected some witty remark from her, but she just stood there with a resigned look on her face.

"Drop the stake, and stay there," Nathan ordered, "Or the dhampir dies." He reached into his back pocket, pulled out a bloodstained rag, and stuffed it into my mouth using it as a gag. I tried to think of how I could get out of this mess. My stake was on the floor a few feet away, but Nathan was too fast. I would never be able to get to it in time. He took off my belt and started wrapping around me, pinning my arms to my body. Then, using my duster, he bound my legs so that I couldn't run. Rose didn't have her stake either. Brute force could probably take him down, but she was too small, and his Strigoi reflexes were too strong and fast.

The cold floor pressed into my back as I watched Nathan walk over to Rose.

"You have to promise to leave him once I'm turned. And to not let me hurt him either," Rose implored. "Please..." It was the please that killed me. I knew that Rose loved me, but that she would willingly give up her soul for me? That she would plead with a Strigoi to spare me? It was more than I deserved. I had to come up with a plan to save her! Think, Dimitri, Think!

"Fine," Nathan said in a bored voice. "Hurry up, little girl." Rose brushed aside her hair, revealing her throat.

"Dimitri, I love you," she whispered as her eyes met mine. They held pain, sadness, fear, and love. An overwhelming amount of love. A tear slid down my face. I was helpless. Helpless to save her; powerless to stop this from happening.

"I love you too, Roza," I tried to say around the gag, but it just came out as a mumble of sounds. She understood, and I knew that my eyes conveyed all I saw in hers and more. She stared into them as his fangs bit into her skin. Rose gasped and collapsed when the endorphins entered her system, and I spit the gag out of my mouth.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two:**

**Rose POV**

As far as bad ideas go, and I've had a lot of them, this one was by far the worst. Willingly letting a Strigoi turn me? Yeah, okay, worst idea ever. Good job, Rose. But it wasn't like I could just run away and leave Dimitri. He would never do that if our positions were reversed.

Once I saw Nathan grab him, terror enveloped me, cause seriously? That guy had a real passion for revenge. But I could probably use that to my advantage. He wanted me dead? I could do better than that. Hopefully, when the Strigoi was engrossed in sucking the life and soul out of me, Dimitri would get his wits together and escape. My soul was a small price to pay to keep Dimitri safe. That didn't lessen my fear, though. I didn't _want_ to lose my soul! I didn't _want_ to lose Dimitri. Especially right after he had confessed his undying love for me.

Like the world cared what I wanted. My life was like one of the romance movies Lissa always made me watch, even though I hated them. The girl finally gets the guy, and then something tragic happens-he dies of Cancer, or she's killed in a car crash, or he moves halfway across the world, or the world blows up, or, as in our case, she gets turned into an evil monster to save him while he's forced to watch. Tragic. God, life really sucks sometimes.

As the Strigoi started tying Dimitri up, with his own belt and duster for goodness sake, I saw him trying to work out a plan to save both of us. I had been forced to throw my stake to the ground, but I could see Dimitri's lying a few steps to my right. I could dart over, grab it, and then, what? Stake Nathan? He'd intercept me before I could even get to him, and probably Turn Dimitri before I could say a word. No. Fighting was out of the question if I wanted to protect Dimitri. I would just have to trust that he could save me before I became a Strigoi. It was a long shot, but it was _Dimitri_, he could do it.

Nathan stood from his kneeling position, and strode over to me, confident in his ability to survive this.

"You have to promise to leave him once I'm turned. And to not let me hurt him either, please..." I was begging by this point. Pathetic. I was pleading with a Strigoi to stop me from killing my true love after he turned me.

Fine," Nathan said, rolling his eyes. "Hurry up, little girl."

Dimitri lay on the ground, making no subtle moves to untie his bindings. I didn't know why. Did he really think I wanted to be turned? That I wanted my sacrifice to be for nothing? _Dimitri, do something! Save me! Or run! Save yourself! Please. _Did he think I wasn't worth saving? Despite his words this morning, did he really want me? Or would it just be easier to let me die?

As I stared into his dark brown eyes, those handsome eyes, I dismissed those thoughts. Seeing the love and agony reflected in them, I knew without a doubt that he wanted me. That he loved me. That he wanted to save me. _But why wasn't he?_ a voice whispered in the back of my mind.

It was that moment, staring into his face, with his long brown hair framing his face, that I realized he wasn't going to be able to rescue me, and I was going to be turned into a Strigoi. I was going down without a fight, and I hated it. But if it saved Dimitri, I would gladly do it.

"Dimitri, I love you," I whispered. My last words as Rosemarie Hathaway. As his Roza... Because within the next few moments, I was sure I would become a monster.

He mumbled something I couldn't exactly hear around his gag, but I could tell he was telling me the same. That he loved me. I stared into those pools of love, of pain, of determination... Determination?

All my thoughts left my mind as Nathan's fangs sunk into my skin. I gasped in pleasure at the high the vampire bite gave me. This was nothing like Lissa's bite! Oh, this was so much better. I fell to my knees.

Watching out of the corner of my eye, I saw Dimitri untie the belt that had secured his arms, and leap toward his stake. Then he started to run toward me... but, of course, he had forgotten about the duster and tripped and fell on his face. It was almost comical, and I would have laughed in any other situation. But now, I was mad. How dare he try to take this pleasure away from me! I _wanted_ to become a Strigoi. Dimitri got up again, and tried to pull me away from Nathan, but I kicked him in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him, though never breaking Nathan's grip on my neck. He started to fall backwards but caught himself.

"Rose?" he said, bewildered.

"Please go, Dimitri," I was just able to gasp before I passed out. And as the darkness settled over my eyes, I felt it. The subtle change in my blood. I was becoming a Strigoi.

**AN: Hey guys. I'm just starting to get the hang of this website, so please don't stake me if I make a mistake in fanfiction etiquette! I'm trying! Also, thank you so much to everyone who has read this story so far. Reviews are DEFINITELY appreciated. Additionally, if you have any ideas you'd like to share for the plot, character development, etc, please send me a PM. I'd love to hear your thoughts. (Even though I have many of my own for this story!) Thanks!**

**-Claire**


	3. Chapter 3

Dimitri POV

As I saw her pass out, I knew that I was too late. She was Turned. Rose... was gone. Forever.

My worst fears had come true: that our feelings for each other would prevent us from seeing the true threat. I had been so focused on her safety; had been watching the Strigoi leaping toward her and didn't even see her attack on me.

I had thought I would have been able to save her, but I didn't expect her to fight me. I didn't expect her to want to be Turned. And when she kicked me... I hesitated. How many times had I told her not to hesitate? If I hadn't hesitated, she would be here right now.

Nathan stood up, holding Rose's limp body in his arms, and stared at me. My stake in my hand, I walked toward him, furious. He wouldn't survive this night.

He threw Rose to the ground carelessly as I shifted my stake to my right hand. We circled each other silently, until he leaped out at me, going for my neck. I dodged his bite, and my stake scratched the side of his face. He let out a bellow of pain. Grabbing my wrists, he threw me to the ground, using his body to pin me there. We grappled for a few moments as I tried to get my stake in a killing position.

He leaned his face down to mine, so that his red eyes were all I could see. "Is this what you wanted? She's mine now," he said menacingly.

"She'll never be yours!" I yelled as I spit in his face.

"Once I kill you, she'll-" I plunged my stake into his back. Nathan collapsed on top of me, and I pushed him off, wiping my stake on my shirt.

I stood up and assessed the situation. There were no other Strigoi, but Rose was still lying on the floor. Nathan had thrown her hard and I was pretty sure something was broken.

I cautiously walked over to her. As I knelt down on the cave floor, a sob escaped my throat. _Oh, Roza. _I brushed her hair away from her face and looked into her eyes.

Her tan skin had the pale qualities of a Strigoi, and her eyes were red. I figured I had a few minutes before she actively became a Strigoi. I had to kill her. It was my duty as a guardian. But while she was helpless? And she was _Rose_. I couldn't kill Rose. I just... couldn't. I stroked her hair, the same hair that encircled our heads last night as we kissed, and I pulled her into my arms, crying. I held her and cried.

_She's not here anymore. Rose is gone. Dead. Mourn her afterward, but do what you have to do._

I cradled her in my arms and wiped away my tears so I could see her face. I was repulsed. Her eyes were red, her skin pale. This wasn't my Roza. I knew that, and yet... I couldn't bring myself to stake her. So I did the most cowardly thing I'd ever done in my life.

I ran.

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><p><strong>AN: Hey guys! Sorry for the short update; this was just the best place to end the chapter. On the plus side: you'll have a new update sooner! A few other things: **

**1. Review review review! You have no idea how motivated and happy I feel when I receive them. It's also lovely to hear from you guys in general. Constructive Criticism is ALWAYS welcome as well. **

**2. I'm thinking of starting a one-shot series for VA. I already have one written up, but I'm looking for a Beta Reader to help me edit my stuff... if anyone wants to do that, please send me a PM**

**3. Related to #2: if anyone has any ideas for one-shots they'd like to see written, please send me a PM or review. (The focus of my one-shots won't just be on Dimitri and Rose, but the majority of them will be...)**

**4. I love love love reading Drabble/One-shot series for VA so if you know/have written any please let me know! **

**5. Thanks to everyone who has read this so far! The number of people who have visited/viewed is astonishing! (to me, at least...)**

**- Claire**


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